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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25510294">The Drums of Le-Koro</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/YetAnotherPersona/pseuds/YetAnotherPersona'>YetAnotherPersona</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mask of Light: deleted scenes [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bionicle - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Canon, Canon Rewrite, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:22:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,388</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25510294</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/YetAnotherPersona/pseuds/YetAnotherPersona</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaller and Takua hear some bad news while being aided by Toa Lewa on their quest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mask of Light: deleted scenes [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1848085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Drums of Le-Koro</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a rewrite of the scene in Mask of Light where Jaller and Takua learn that Ta-Koro has been taken by the Rahkshi. I think this scene, and the fall of Ta-Koro as a whole, could have had a lot more emotional impact on the characters and the viewer with only some minor changes, so that's what I've tried to achieve in this story. I strongly recommend reading this series from the beginning for full effect.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jaller’s first-ever flight on a Gukko bird goes about as well as he’d expected it too. The rahi misjudges its landing on the clifftop, either due to Takua’s inexperienced direction or just because it’s overburdened, and thuds into the snow, bending a wing out of shape and sending both its passengers flying off its back.</p><p>Lying face-down in a snowdrift, Jaller doesn’t even have time to get his bearings before Takua’s hand shoves his head even further into the powdery top layer. Jaller grumbles into the snow – could his friend really not find a way of standing up that doesn’t involve using Jaller’s head as a handhold?</p><p>Jaller picks himself up and glowers at Takua, who reaches out apologetically to help dust the snow off of him. Jaller waves him away, irritated.</p><p>“What?” says Takua indignantly. “We’re here!” He gestures out across the snowy plateau.</p><p>Jaller’s not sure what Takua means at first, but then he holds up the mask – sure enough, its beam is level now, and points in the opposite direction from the cliff edge.</p><p>“Hey, not bad,” Jaller quips, his annoyance quickly fading. “You even kept us on the right path.”</p><p>The Gukko bird squawks indignantly and flaps back towards the jungle. Jaller supposes that’s fair – it’s not really built for a climate like this, and they haven’t exactly been the best passengers. Lewa, meanwhile, is kneeling at the very edge of the cliff, staring intently at the treetops far below... listening for something?</p><p>Jaller and Takua cross back to the cliff edge to see what’s got his attention. Once they’re alongside him they hear it too – a faint sound of drumming coming from the trees.</p><p>Takua gasps. “Le-Koro’s messenger drums! I’ve studied these. Let me see if I can translate it.”</p><p>He gets on his hands and knees next to Lewa and cranes his neck over the edge, apparently having no regard at all for his own life. Jaller hangs back, happy to stay on solid ground for as long as possible after the nerve-wracking flight. He doesn’t know the first thing about the drum-language, and sees no point in risking his neck now trying to learn.</p><p>“That pattern means an urgent message, right Toa Lewa?” Takua asks. The Toa doesn’t respond, still intent on the drumming.</p><p>“Urgent message,” Takua mumbles. “I can’t make out the next part... ‘Ta...’ oh! That was ‘Ta-Koro,’ wasn’t it?”</p><p>Lewa nods, his brow furrowed, and now Jaller runs to his side as well. “Ta-Koro?” he pants. “What are they saying about it?”</p><p>There’s an long, swooping note that sounds more like a voice than a drum, followed by several syncopated beat patterns, each with a second or so between them. Lewa’s expression becomes graver still.</p><p>“That long one means ‘descend,’ right?” Takua asks insistently. “I couldn’t understand the next part, though.”</p><p>The drums pause for a moment before restarting their message, and Lewa speaks at last, his voice heavy. “The drums of Le-Koro bring a sorry-bad story. Your village has fallen to <em>Rahkshi – </em>the Makuta’s sons.”</p><p>Jaller freezes, his grip on the mask tightening. “My village... in trouble?”</p><p>Lewa raises a hand. “The drummers will number-name the casualties.”</p><p>Both Matoran stare at the Toa as the seconds drag by, agonisingly slow. Lewa listens, and then translates:</p><p>“Toa Tahu injured. One Ga-Matoran injured. Five Po-Matoran injured. Thirteen Ta-Matoran injured, and two Ta-Koro guards dead.”</p><p>Jaller goes numb, unable to even form words. Two dead. He’s desperate to know the names, but terrified to hear them.</p><p>“The two Ta-Matoran’s names...” Lewa continues.</p><p><em>No, </em>thinks Jaller. <em>No, no, no...</em></p><p>“Kumuku, and Agni.”</p><p>The mask slips from Jaller’s hands and thuds into the snow.</p><p>Agni, dead. Agni, who just yesterday was wishing Jaller luck, full of laughter encouragement. Agni, leading the guard against the forces of Makuta in Jaller’s stead so that Jaller could run off on a quest that was never even <em>his. </em>Agni, already melting away in a hero’s fire-funeral, if the Makuta’s spawn even allowed him that dignity...</p><p>“I should’ve been there,” Jaller breathes. He looks up at Lewa, who’s standing now. “I must return,” he says, a plea in his voice.</p><p>“Sorry, fire-spitter,” Lewa says gently. “Past-late to help now.” He kneels down and picks up the Kanohi, pressing it back into Jaller’s hands. “The mask most needs you now.”</p><p>But that isn’t true. The mask never chose Jaller. Maybe this is a sign from Mata Nui; an instruction for Jaller give the mask to the Matoran it’s meant for and turn back, or else a punishment for usurping Takua’s duty to begin with...</p><p>“Takua will continue in my place,” Jaller announces, thrusting the mask towards his companion.</p><p>“Nuh-uh. No way,” Takua says immediately, grabbing the mask and pushing back. “You accepted this duty!”</p><p>“I accepted <em>your </em>duty!”</p><p>“Stop,” orders Lewa. “What is this duty-quarrel? We all have a duty to Mata Nui. No time to in-fight.”</p><p>Jaller wants to protest, but you don’t really argue with another village’s Toa on something like this. And he knows Lewa’s right, really; it would take a full day to return to Ta-Koro, and if the drums are to be believed the battle is already over. So, as terrible as it makes him feel to turn his back on his people, Jaller yields and keeps hold of the mask.</p><p>“I must go,” Lewa continues, “and be with the Toa. But then” – he puts a hand on Jaller’s shoulder and looks him in the eye – “I go to your village, Jaller. Heart-promise.”</p><p>“I...” words almost fail Jaller. “I can’t thank you enough, Toa.”</p><p>Lewa nods and stands up, turning to face the cliff edge once more. He somersaults into the air as if he were no lighter than an autumn leaf, drawing his sabres and placing the points at his heels in one fluid motion. Takua and Jaller watch him glide down towards the jungle until he’s lost in the mist, then turn and begin their trek across the snow-plains toward Ko-Koro.</p><p>Jaller barely feels the cold; his legs carry him diligently across the snowy wastes, but his mind is far away. He wonders what’s left of Ta-Koro – have the Makuta’s minions made their home in the village, or simply razed it to the ground and let the lava carry away the rubble? Where will the Ta-Matoran go? How did Agni and Kumuku die, and could Jaller have prevented it if he’d been there?</p><p>He tries to convince himself that it’s not his fault. The Turaga have always said that fulfilling the will of the Great Spirit isn’t easy – it demands hardship and sacrifice; that’s how heroes are made. Fighting against the Makuta’s legions is what Agni and Kumuku trained for; they wouldn’t have joined the guard if they weren’t prepared to die defending their village. And what nobler cause could any guard hope to give their life for than the discovery of a seventh Toa? They were both good Matoran, and brave warriors. Their spirits will reach Haevanata Nui, the home of heroes, and as long as Jaller does his duty he will be reunited with them one day.</p><p>The wind picks up, sending fresh snow flying in the travellers’ faces. It’s only after trudging numbly through the blizzard for some time that Jaller thinks to worry about his own safety again. <em>Rahkshi – </em>he’s never heard the word before, but if the Makuta created them they must be a force to be reckoned with. He wishes he’d demanded more information from Lewa before letting him leave. How many were there, and how fast can they travel? How did they know that the mask was at Ta-Koro? And, having failed to find it there, how long will it take them to come looking elsewhere?</p><p>Jaller’s frozen fingers tighten on the Kanohi and he quickens his pace, sticking close to Takua. He’s has never known his companion to stay silent this long – the news of Ta-Koro’s destruction and the new threat of the Rahkshi must have shaken him badly. Jaller is already coming to his senses, realising just how foolish it would have been to abandon Takua on the clifftop. The two of them will need each other if they’re going to survive this journey – as terrible as today has been, Jaller can sense that the most difficult trials are yet to come.</p>
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